Spurs aren’t expecting another rout of Heat

MIAMI — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich isn’t one for climbing out on a limb and making crazy predictions. However, at shootaround this morning, here was one aspect of tonight’s rematch with the Heat that Popovich was willing to project.

Ten days ago in San Antonio, the Spurs set a franchise record from distance, jumping on the Heat early en route to a 125-95 rout. Matt Bonner was 6 0f 7, Manu Ginobili and George Hill buried three apiece, and the Spurs missed just 11 of their 28 attempts, good for a 60.7-percent success rate.

If there was an overarching theme after the Spurs’ walkthrough at AmericanAirlines Arena, it’s that they aren’t counting on a repeat performance from beyond the arc.

“I think what happened last game makes this game more dangerous,” Ginobili said. “We’ve got the feeling it was an easy game, because we made so many threes and everything went our way. It’s never going to be that easy again.”

Aside from 3-point shooting, there are some things the Spurs hope can carry over from the first meeting with Miami. Ball movement is one.

“We moved the ball very well to get those 17 threes,” said Ginobili, who combined with Tony Parker to provide 15 of the Spurs’ 29 assists in that game. “They are a team that hekps a lot and collapses the paint, so if we are smart and penetrate a kick, you get open shots. Sometimes you do it and don’t make shots, but it helps.”

The Spurs could also use a defensive performance like they got in the previous meeting, especially in the first quarter. The 12 points Miami managed in the opening frame were a season low, and set the stage for the rout. (Of course, the Heat followed that with a 38-point second quarter, evidence of the Spurs’ defensive inconsistency).

“It was one of our better nights of the season, and one of their lesser nights of the season, and that combination created that (blowout),” Popovich said. “That’s why they call it a game. Sometimes, stuff happens.”